Let it Snow!

Objective: Students will learn about and make snowflakes.

Procedure:

1. Students will look at selected Web sites to learn about the conditions necessary for snow and what makes snowflakes different shapes.
2. Students will also look at the snowflake crystals at the Wilson A. Bentley, "The Snowflake Man" Web site.
3. Students will design virtual snowflakes using The Snowflake Designer.
4. Students will attempt to cut flakes which look like the ones they created using Snowflake Designer. My "Directions for Folding" start with an 8 1/2 by 11 inch piece of paper.

Internet Resources:

• How Winter Storms Bring Rain, Ice, and Snow
• Wilson A. Bentley - The Snowflake Man
• Snowflake Bentley, 1999 Caldecott Award Winner
• SnowCrystal.com
• The National Snow and Ice Data Center Education Web Resources
• If you would like to keep track of the snowfall across North America on a daily basis, see the NOAA Operational Daily Snow Analysis Charts.
• USA TODAY Weather, Understanding Snow and Ice
• Just for Fun...Build a Snowman

Here are some samples of the students' paper snowflakes:

Snowflake Hall of Fame:

• January 2000
• January 2001